Diamonds to Luzerne County Children, Youth and Families, the Weatherly Faith Church, and all those who arranged a funeral service for 13-year-old Jacob Delgadillo, a move that injected some compassion into a brutal tragedy. The boy’s adoptive father has been charged with criminal homicide, and his adoptive mother was charged with child endangerment and tampering with evidence. County Manager Romilda Crocamo and other county officials attended the service, held without fanfare to protect the privacy of Delgadillo’s five siblings, now in foster care. “Today, Luzerne County grieved together as one community, united in our remembrance and support for one another during this heartbreaking time,” Crocamo said, in tears. “He was just a little boy. He never stood a chance. We must do better.” First responders from area municipalities, State Police and others joined the commemoration, including the Flying Aces motorcycle club and Bikers Against Abuse, who learned of his love for motorcycles. The murder showed the worst of humans, this event reminded us of the better.
Coal to the Wapwallopen man charged with assaulting a Butler Township Police officer during a traffic stop Thursday. As part of an “aggressive driver” traffic enforcement effort, police stopped the man for operating a motorcycle without a registration plate. They say he started a fight, placed the officer in a headlock and attempted to grab his firearm before the officer regained control and detained him until assistance arrived. It may be an old lament here, but we repeat it in hopes it sinks in for some: Once the police have stopped you, just cooperate.
Diamonds to the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts for once again demonstrating its endless value to Wyoming Valley by booking the Grammy-winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Chicago for an Oct. 29 appearance. While a pretty big gig sure to draw a crowd, this is just one of many offerings for the coming months, and we urge you to visit the Kirby’s website, kirbycenter.org, to check out the variety of opportunities. Pick one, or a few, and set a date to enjoy the building’s art deco design, the company of people who share your taste in entertainment, and of course, the shows themselves.
Coal to those who make it necessary for the FBI to issue reminders that making hoax threats of violence at schools is a serious criminal offense. It doesn’t matter how threats are made or if they are intended as jokes, the act can disrupt student education, cost districts and responding law enforcement time and money, and draw officers away from other important work. Most importantly, students who engage in any type of threat can face state and federal criminal charges, suspension, expulsion, and potentially jail. As we’ve seen locally in the past, law enforcement and school officials, by necessity, take any threat seriously. “What may seem like a joke can quickly become a life-altering mistake,” Special Agent Wayne A. Jacobs said in a media release. “Think before you act.”
